Chesterfield Township, New Jersey

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Chesterfield, New Jersey
Chesterfield Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Chesterfield Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Coordinates: 40°7′45″N 74°38′14″W / 40.12917, -74.63722
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Burlington
Formed November 6, 1688
Royal Charter January 10, 1713
Incorporated February 21, 1798
Government
 - Type Township (New Jersey)
 - Mayor Lawrence H. Durr
Area
 - Total 21.5 sq mi (55.7 km²)
 - Land 21.4 sq mi (55.5 km²)
 - Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
Elevation [1] 72 ft (22 m)
Population (2006)[2]
 - Total 6,451
 - Density 278.1/sq mi (107.4/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 08505, 08515
Area code(s) 609
FIPS code 34-12670[3]
GNIS feature ID 0882109[4]
Website: http://www.chesterfieldtwp.com

Chesterfield Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 5,955.

Chesterfield was originally formed on November 6, 1688. It was reformed by Royal Charter on January 10, 1713, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form New Hanover Township (December 2, 1723) and Bordentown borough (December 9, 1825).[5]

Chesterfield Township comprises three distinct communities: Chesterfield, Crosswicks and Sykesville. The area was first settled in 1677, when a group primarily consisting of Quakers settled in the area of Crosswicks, the oldest of the Chesterfield's three "villages".[6]

Contents

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 21.5 square miles (55.7 km²), of which, 21.4 square miles (55.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.42%) is water.

Chesterfield Township borders Bordentown Township, Mansfield Township, Springfield Township, and North Hanover Township. Chesterfield Township also borders Mercer County.

What is now the unincorporated village of Chesterfield was known as Recklesstown in the 18th and early 19th centuries, named for one of its founders, Joseph Reckless. The name was changed in 1888, when the district's Congressman thought it an object of ridicule.[7]

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 1,269
—
1940 1,766 39.2%
1950 2,020 14.4%
1960 2,519 24.7%
1970 3,190 26.6%
1980 3,867 21.2%
1990 5,152 33.2%
2000 5,955 15.6%
Est. 2005 6,451 [2] 8.3%
Population 1930 - 1990.[8]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 5,955 people, 899 households, and 744 families residing in the township. The population density was 278.1 people per square mile (107.4/km²). There were 924 housing units at an average density of 43.1/sq mi (16.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 49.71% White, 37.36% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 8.45% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.34% of the population. Much of the African American population noted above comes from a youth detention center located at the northwest edge of Chesterfield Township, on the border with Hamilton Township.[citation needed]

There were 899 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.6% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.2% were non-families. 12.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the township the population was spread out with 11.8% under the age of 18, 40.7% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 12.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 345.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 423.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $85,428, and the median income for a family was $91,267. Males had a median income of $50,305 versus $44,659 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,193. About 0.4% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Chesterfield Township operates under the Township form of government which comprises three committeepersons who are elected on a partisan basis for an overlapping three year term, one member being elected each year. The committee traditionally selects the committeeperson serving the last year of his/her term to serve as mayor. The Mayor is always appointed in January after the elections. The Township Committee derives from the state statutes which delegates powers, prescribe the offices and structure and establish various procedures under which the Township must operate. The committee serves both legislative and executive functions.

Members of the Chesterfield Township Committee are Mayor Lawrence H. Durr, Deputy Mayor Michael Hlubik and Brian Kelly.[9]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Chesterfield township is in the Fourth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 30th Legislative District.[10]

New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Mercer County, Monmouth County and Ocean County, is represented by Christopher Smith (R). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 30th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert Singer (R, Lakewood Township) and in the Assembly by Ronald S. Dancer (R, New Egypt) and Joseph R. Malone (R, Bordentown).[11] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[12]

Burlington County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis. As of 2008, Burlington County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director James K. Wujcik (Cinnaminson Township, 2009), Deputy Director Joseph B. Donnelly (Cinnaminson Township, 2010), Dawn Marie Addiego (Evesham Township, 2008), Aubrey A. Fenton (Willingboro Township, 2008) and William S. Haines, Jr. (Medford Township, 2009).[13]

[edit] Education

The Chesterfield School District serves students in public school for grades 1 - 6. As of the 2005-06 school year, Chesterfield Elementary School had an enrollment of 295 students.[14]

Public school students in grades 7 - 12 attend the schools of the Northern Burlington County Regional School District, which also serves students from Mansfield Township, North Hanover Township and Springfield Township, along with children of United States Air Force personnel based at McGuire Air Force Base.[15] The schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[16]) are Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School for grades 7 and 8 (665 students) and Northern Burlington County Regional High School for grades 9-12 (1,264 students). Both schools are in the Columbus section of Mansfield Township.

[edit] History

An Eastern Air Lines DC-3 collided with a United States Navy Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat over Chesterfield on July 30, 1949.

The DC-3 was on a scheduled flight en route from LaGuardia Field to Wilmington, having originated at Boston, with Memphis as the destination. Takeoff from LaGuardia was at 10:00. The flight reported its position as over Freehold, New Jersey, at 10:17 and estimated arrival over Philadelphia, at 10:37. At the same time, a US Navy Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat aircraft (72887) was en route from the Anacostia NAS, DC, to the Quonset Point Naval Air Station, RI, on a training flight. Weather conditions existing over the route of both aircraft were good. The visibility was 10 miles and there were scattered clouds at 12,000 feet. At about 10:30 the F6F-5 was observed to perform acrobatics and to "buzz" a small civil aircraft in the neighborhood of Chesterfield, NJ. These maneuvers terminated in collision between the F6F-5 and the DC-3. Upon collision the fighter plane lost its left wing and the DC-3 lost the outer portion of its left wing. Both aircraft then fell in erratic paths, losing various parts while falling. The DC-3 burned when it struck the ground. The fighter's pilot was either seriously injured or killed at the time of the collision and was thrown clear of the aircraft during the descent. There was no indication that he attempted to use his parachute. [17]

[edit] References

  1. ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Chesterfield, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Census data for Chesterfield township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed April 24, 2008.
  3. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 87.
  6. ^ History of Chesterfield Township, Chesterfield Township. Accessed March 6, 2007.
  7. ^ Chesterfield Township: Recklesstown Historic District, accessed April 26, 2007. "What is now the unincorporated village of Chesterfield was known as Recklesstown in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Its name derived not from the behavior of its inhabitants, but from one of its founders, Joseph Reckless. The name was changed in 1888, when the then Congressman for the district, himself a resident of the village, thought it an object of ridicule."
  8. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  9. ^ Chesterfield Township Committee, Chesterfield Township. Accessed April 24, 2008.
  10. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  11. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  12. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  13. ^ The Burlington County Board Of Chosen Freeholders, Burlington County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2008.
  14. ^ Data for the Chesterfield Elementary School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 24, 2008.
  15. ^ Northern Burlington County Regional School District 2007 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 24, 2008. "The Northern Burlington County Regional School District is an important part of its growing community. The Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School and High School are located in Mansfield Township. Its constituent elementary districts are Chesterfield, Mansfield, North Hanover, and Springfield Townships. In addition, the district serves the children of United States Air Force personnel stationed at McGuire Air Force Base."
  16. ^ Data for the Northern Burlington County Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 24, 2008.
  17. ^ "ASN Aircraft Accident Description Douglas DC-3-201D N19963 - Chesterfield, NJ." Aviation Safety Network, June 19, 2004. Accessed February 5, 2008.

[edit] External links